Letter Quest: Grimm's Journey
- November 20, 2014
- Bacon Bandit Games
- 26h median play time
Letter Quest: Grimm's Journey is a decent concept ruined by lazy design choices and one of the most baffling pay-to-win adaptations I've ever seen.
Get on Steam
Get on Apple StoreIn Letter Quest: Grimm's Journey, players embark on a turn-based word-building adventure to help Grimm, a tiny blue creature, defeat monsters and bosses using their vocabulary skills. The game features over 40 stages, numerous upgrades, and challenging puzzles. Players must form words to deal damage, collect gems and special items, and unlock new books and challenges. With various modes, difficulty settings, and achievements, Letter Quest offers endless replayability.
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Reviews
- Engaging mix of word game and RPG elements, providing a unique gameplay experience.
- Challenging mechanics with various conditions for each level, keeping the gameplay fresh and interesting.
- Cute graphics and humorous writing, making it enjoyable for players of all ages.
- Some words are not recognized by the game, leading to frustration for players with extensive vocabularies.
- Can become grindy as players may need to replay levels to earn enough currency for upgrades.
- The soundtrack can become repetitive over time, detracting from the overall experience.
- story94 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 80 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The story in "Letter Quest" is minimal and often described as lacking depth, serving primarily as a lighthearted backdrop for the gameplay. Players follow the whimsical journey of a grim reaper named Grimm on a quest for pizza, with narrative elements presented through comic strips. While the plot is not the main focus, it adds a humorous touch to the otherwise engaging word puzzle mechanics.
“It's a very light-hearted tale of a very hungry grim reaper looking for pizza and battling monsters along the way - the story is told through rather whimsical-looking comic strip scenes.”
“The story is silly, lighthearted, and sparse but is punched up by the amusing and word-play filled enemy descriptions.”
“Essentially, you're a grim reaper-looking dude who's on a quest to get pizza - a much more relatable story than many other games I can think of.”
“The story is just a plot and of no transcendence.”
“There is a bit of a 'story line' but I put that in parentheses because it is barely there.”
“The story is almost non-existent, but that's not really the point of playing something like this, so it never bothered me.”
- gameplay63 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this word-based adventure game is engaging and addictive, featuring a core mechanic of building words to attack enemies, complemented by various upgrades and RPG elements that enhance strategy and replayability. Players appreciate the diverse mechanics, including special tiles and unique enemy attributes that prevent monotony, although some find the core concept somewhat dated. Overall, the game offers a satisfying blend of casual fun and thoughtful gameplay, making it appealing to fans of the genre.
“The mechanics, upgrades, and difficulty progression meld brilliantly with the learning content.”
“Above all, the gameplay really keeps you engaged.”
“The gameplay consists of spelling words and utilizing beneficial tiles while avoiding the bad ones as much as possible.”
“With that being said, this title is too standard, feels too mobile, and the core mechanic is too old for me.”
“The gameplay does get repetitive after you've played for a few hours.”
“The core mechanic of building words is ages old, and frankly has been done to death.”
- graphics47 mentions
- 51 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their cute and cartoony art style, appealing to both younger audiences and older players. While some reviews note a lack of animation and repetitive sprite designs, the overall aesthetic is described as vibrant and charming, enhancing the gameplay experience. The remastered edition addresses some graphical shortcomings, offering improved visuals and a more polished look.
“The art style is adorable and smooth, the simplistic story is funny and compelling, and the 'special conditions' ensure that gameplay is never stale.”
“The graphics are simple but fun, and the music is catchy.”
“Overall, the art style is cute and well designed, and serves as a strong word-based puzzle game.”
“The graphics are modest.”
“The music is awful, the graphics are boring (the monsters are all basically recolors of the same five or six sprites, and they aren't even animated), and while you're not playing this game for a gripping plot, even the paper-thin story is lackluster.”
“Difficulty is well balanced, graphics are simple and clean.”
- music43 mentions
- 49 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many praising its catchy and energetic chiptune soundtrack that enhances the gameplay experience. However, several reviews note that the limited variety and repetitive nature of the tracks can become grating over extended play sessions, leading some players to lower or mute the music. Overall, while the soundtrack is considered a highlight, its lack of diversity may detract from long-term enjoyment.
“Every copy comes with a chiptune-y soundtrack - beats that would make Mario jealous.”
“Try it out, if only for its wonderful soundtrack -- one of the best I've heard in a puzzle game.”
“The soundtrack is fun too; it keeps you pumped and encourages you to destroy those ghosts!”
“The music is even more modest.”
“I found myself turning the music down if not nearly completely off after the 3 hour mark hit as that was my limit.”
“Very, very poor and immensely distracting soundtrack, with earworm quality to boot.”
- grinding26 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The reviews indicate that grinding in the game is a mixed experience, with many players finding it repetitive, boring, and at times frustrating, especially when pursuing achievements or maxing out collectibles. While some appreciate the progressive unlocks and challenge modes that provide goals, others feel that the grind can detract from overall enjoyment, particularly due to its mobile game origins and the necessity of resource grinding to progress. Overall, grinding is seen as a significant aspect of gameplay, with varying levels of impact on player engagement.
“So much boring grinding; it's bad because the game won't accept your word. I don't even mind grinding in a game, but this one is just dead boring!”
“Repetitive, unrewarding, frustrating conditions and grinding.”
“The game is good, but its origins as a 'freemium' style mobile game are pretty obvious, as it can get insanely grindy. This was clearly done to nudge players towards micropayments on the mobile version (which are not present here).”
- humor11 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is consistently praised, with players highlighting its charming and light-hearted writing, funny dialogues, and amusing monster descriptions. The combination of humor with engaging gameplay elements, such as RPG mechanics and unique puzzles, enhances the overall experience, making it both entertaining and addictive. Overall, the game successfully blends humor with gameplay, creating a delightful atmosphere that keeps players engaged.
“An addictive word puzzle game with a great soundtrack and funny charm.”
“A combination of humor and tried and true RPG-lite mechanics incentivizes and distracts from the fact that you're essentially doing primary school English homework.”
“Combine an addictive and unique combat system, hilarious and pleasant light-hearted writing, a gorgeous soundtrack, tons of references, loads of unlockables, and a relatively low price, and you have Letter Quest: Grimm's Journey.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game offers significant replayability through its mobile RPG grind for loot, customizable characters, level challenges, and numerous achievements to unlock. While some players find the experience somewhat superficial, many appreciate the addictive gameplay and variety of content that encourages repeated play.
“There is a lot of replay value and lots of things to unlock, and the gameplay is addictive and well-fleshed out.”
“I do appreciate the mobile/lite RPG grind for loot and rewards to add replayability, but to be fair, the whole thing feels paper thin.”
“It's somewhat similar to other word games with the letter board, but you're able to customize your character and there's replay value with the level challenges.”
“This adds some replay value, as do the achievements.”
- optimization5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its exceptional optimization, running smoothly without stuttering or loading screens, which is a rarity in modern titles. While character optimization isn't deemed necessary, the integration of RPG elements adds depth to gameplay, allowing players to enhance their experience through upgrades and leveling.
“The game itself runs very smoothly; it's extremely well optimized.”
“It's like a whole can of WD-40, no stuttering and no real loading screens.”
“Character optimization just doesn't seem necessary.”
“Most games aren't this optimized these days; even games like this one typically have the occasional stutter or tear.”
“It's like a whole can of WD-40; no stuttering and no real loading screens.”
- monetization3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The monetization model of the game is generally well-received, with players appreciating the absence of ads and the abundance of upgrades, reminiscent of classic word games. However, some users note that the presence of in-app purchases, particularly for gems, indicates its origins as a mobile port.
“Addictive, no ads, lots of upgrades and fun!”
“It's everything word games used to be before in-app purchases.”
“This is where it becomes quite obvious that the title was a mobile port (gems = in-app purchases).”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the character development in the game, noting it as engaging and enjoyable over the course of its 15-18 hour playtime, which also contributes positively to language skills for non-native speakers.
“The character development in this game is truly engaging, allowing players to form deep connections with the characters over the course of the 15-18 hour journey.”
“I was pleasantly surprised by how much the character development enhanced my experience, making each character feel unique and relatable.”
“The way the game handles character growth is impressive, with meaningful choices that impact their stories and relationships.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players frequently mention feeling deeply touched and moved by the game's narrative, with many highlighting the emotional weight of character relationships and pivotal moments. The storytelling is praised for its ability to evoke strong feelings, leaving players reflecting on their experiences long after finishing. Overall, the emotional depth is seen as a significant strength, enhancing player engagement and connection.
